Kevin from Colonia, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since March of 2014. He and Lisa signed for solar in late March, 44 Trina 250 watt panels on Enphase M215 microinverters, 11 kW rated and designed for about 13,202 kWh a year. The electrical service needed upgrading to carry it, so on the same day in August we brought the overhead service up to 150 amps and commissioned the array. Colonia is in Middlesex County.
Project Facts
- Location
- Colonia, NJ
- Service
- Solar Panel Installation
- Client since
- March 2014
- Panels
- Trina Model # TMS-PC05/PA05.18/250W
- Panels
- 44
- System size
- 11.00 kW
- Inverter
- EnPhase M215-60-2LL-S22-IG Micro-Single
- Mounting system
- Zep Solar
- Estimated first-year production
- 13,202 kWh
- Electric utility
- PSE&G
Solar questions from Colonia homeowners
How is the number of panels for a Colonia house decided?
It starts with the home's actual electricity use, then with how much usable roof or ground area there is. A proper design looks at twelve months of consumption, expected future use, roof orientation, shading, roof dimensions, code-required setbacks, module wattage and the limits the utility places on interconnection.
What does the inverter do?
It converts the direct current the panels produce into alternating current the house and the grid can use. Residential systems generally use either a central inverter, with optimizers at the modules where applicable, or a microinverter at each module.
What should a Colonia homeowner look for in a solar company?
One that can design, permit, interconnect, install, commission, monitor and service the system, and explain the structure accurately. That means twelve months of real usage, a realistic production model, correct kW and kWh arithmetic, orientation and shading, structural capacity, the rooftop code requirements, the electrical articles for photovoltaic systems and grid interconnection, rapid shutdown, manufacturer installation instructions, utility interconnection and net metering, incentive registration, roof age and condition, penetration and waterproofing detail, the panel, inverter, mounting and workmanship warranties, monitoring, and service after the installation. The question worth asking is not who quoted least, but which company has designed the best long-term system for the house and will still be able to support it years from now.